Director Sameh Zoabi Attending!
A Palestinian soap opera writer learns to find his own voice in this ingenious dramedy, which comments on Middle East affairs with the lightest of touches. Salam is a thirty-something slacker who must travel through Israeli checkpoints every day on his way to Ramallah to work on his producer uncle's popular soap opera "Tel Aviv On Fire." The show, which is set in the time period leading up to the 1967 Six Day War, has transfixed Jewish and Muslim fans with a romance between an Israeli general and an Egyptian spy. Among the former group is the wife of Assi, the checkpoint commander. Assi pressures Salam to include certain plot points so that he can impress his wife. Meanwhile, the Arab sponsors of the show have their own demands, as does the diva-like star. Meanwhile, Salam would like to renew his romance with pretty Maisa. Winner, Best Actor, Orrizonte, Venice Film Festival; Best Film, Haifa Film Festival.
Director Biography
Sameh Zoabi is originally from Iksal, Palestine. He is a graduate of Tel Aviv University and a Fulbright Fellow. His films include Man Without a Cell Phone (10) and Under the Same Sun (13).
Press
"A genial comedy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at its best when sending up soap opera excesses" - Variety
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